Graffiti Management & Murals Policy

Graffiti  is  unwanted  public  artwork  or markings for which the owner or occupier of a building, billboard or hoarding has not given permission. Graffiti  is  unsightly  and  detracts  from  the area’s visual amenity.  (Local Law 3 - Fact Sheet - Graffiti)

Items of public art commissioned by or with the consent of the building owner; public art on a wall or structure specifically designated for  it;  or  any  marking  or  art  approved  by Council’s Chief  Executive  Officer  are  not considered to be Graffiti. (Local Law 3 - Fact Sheet - Graffiti)

Council is committed to implementing strategies that reduce and prevent graffiti vandalism. 

The final policy will provide a framework for how Council will respond to incidents of graffiti. Principles will cover both removal of graffiti and the creation of conditions that may contribute to a reduction in the amount of new graffiti. Strategies will include elements of community partnerships, reporting, removal, enforcement and urban design.

Council recognises the importance of developing and maintaining community partnerships to assist in the effort to reduce graffiti.  This particularly applies to the reporting of graffiti, the removal of graffiti and the identification of potential graffiti reduction strategies. 

A whole-of-community response is needed to have a meaningful graffiti management framework. Council will work with the community to ensure responses are organised, purposeful and appropriate.

Council is committed to ongoing education of the community through the development and distribution of graffiti management education initiatives. This includes – but not limited to – free/ or low cost graffiti removal kits and graffiti prevention guidance information (incl. how to take actions to prevent graffiti on home or business properties)

It is proposed that - wherever possible, Council staff and contractors will remove graffiti in accordance with the following timeframes.

• Removal within 1 working day: Applies to sites with obscene or offensive material
• Removal within 3 working days: Applies to highly visible sites
• Removal within 5 working days: Applies to all other graffiti public infrastructure assets, inlcuding Ergon Energy and NBN etc.

It may be necessary to deviate from normal timeframes for removal on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions include, but are not limited to:

• Skate bowls – where skating surfaces require specialised treatment.
• Temporary fences – these are to be referred to the property owner or fence hire company.
• Murals – where an artist is required to repair artwork.
• Temporary memorials, Heritage items – where a sensitive approach may be appropriate or specialist techniques are required.
• Private property and signage – deemed that the graffiti removal may cause damage to the surface.  (Council will suggest the asset owner seeks specialist advice).
• Sites that require a risk assessment or have work health and safety constraints (eg. graffiti that is more than two metres above the ground or on a roadway).
• Private property – in exceptional cases, highly visible graffiti within private property (eg. ahead of major events, to respond to community concern or if graffiti is obscene/offensive).
• Where Council resources (Staff and available budget) restrict adherence to the policy timeframes.

Council will remove graffiti from the following: 

• Council property;
• Community leasehold sites;
• Other publicly owned infrastructure in accordance with approved Memorandums of Understanding between Council and other asset owners and Council may remove graffiti from the following:  and
• Private property boundaries (where the graffiti is accessible from public property) and is deemed inherently offensive.

Council will require private property owners to remove graffiti from their property in accordance with Local Laws, however Council will also encourage property owners to remove graffiti from their property by providing free or low-cost graffiti removal kits and advice about removal techniques.

Under Council’s Local Law No. 3 (Community & Environmental Management) 2011 Part 9, if any building or other structure, or a billboard or billboard structure, is marked with graffiti, Council may issue a notice to the owner or occupier of the land to remove the graffiti.

The local law also covers graffiti marked on a construction site and may issue a notice to the occupier of the construction site to remove the graffiti.

Council will address graffiti on private land on a complaint basis only, and that these complaints will be prioritised accordingly. As graffiti is not placing person or animal at risk of illness or injury, they would be considered a “low risk” customer request.

It is best to remove graffiti as quickly as possible – preferably within 24 hours (but this isn't always possible).

You can remove tags when they are fresh by using methylated spirits, turps, paint stripper, dedicated graffiti removal products or even oven cleaner. These products contain toxic chemicals so wear protective (PPE) clothing, including a mask (and any other PPE recommended by the product owner/distributor) and always ensure the products are stored out of children’s reach in a locked cupboard.

If you choose to paint over graffiti, keep any unused paint and a brush handy in case you need to cover further tags.

Alternatively, professional graffiti removal companies are listed in the Yellow Pages under graffiti or paint removal services.

Council is proposing to provide free/ to low cost graffiti removal kits for the community as part of the new policy.

Queensland Police 131 444

Fraser Coast Regional Council 1300 79 49 29

Council property, private property (boundaries) and Ergon Energy property e.g. power poles, power boxes and pillars

Transport and Main Roads 13 23 80

Sound barrier fences, concrete dividing fences, traffic signal boxes on main roads and motorways, call the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Australia Post 13 76 78

Red street mail boxes, express post mail boxes and large mail holding boxes, call Australia Post.

Telstra 180 22 44

Phone boxes, concrete cylindrical pillars and rim boxes, call Telstra.

Queensland Rail 13 16 17

Rail corridor please call Queensland Rail.

Council will facilitate user friendly reporting of graffiti by the community via email, in writing, over the phone, through proprietary apps such as Snap/Send Solve or any other recordable reporting mechanism. 

Simple planning and design strategies can help to reduce the likelihood and incidence of graffiti, for example:

• planning for easy graffiti repair (choosing easy to clean surfaces, keeping surplus paint, anti-graffiti coatings etc)
• installing lighting
• using public art or murals

Most graffiti occurs on exposed walls and fences. You can reduce graffiti by restricting the available surface on which graffiti can be placed by;

• planting vegetation against or near to solid surfaces to make them less attractive canvases;
• using landscaping instead of fencing to mark out areas or restrict access;
• limiting the amount of solid surface by using mesh,  grills or lattice work; and
• using highly-textured or uneven materials for solid surfaces

Evidence shows that murals within public space are less prone to incidences of vandalism. They deliver beautification, community engagement and cultural development outcomes. 

Upon Council receipt of a mural request an officer assessment will be undertaken to determine the suitability of a mural as a graffiti reduction treatment.

If a mural is not deemed to be an appropriate reduction strategy or the request is not graffiti related, the request will be referred to Open Space & Environment and the asset custodian for response.  

The advice below is recommended to maximise the graffiti prevention outcomes of murals:

• Designs should be of a high quality and be sufficiently detailed to deter graffiti (limit blank spaces) In order to maximise community ownership, it is recommended that designs reflect a broad community theme.
• Designs must not contain an individual’s graffiti ‘tag’, any commercial branding, offensive language or explicit images.  All murals are to be covered by a protective anti-graffiti coating.  This will ensure that any graffiti can be removed from the mural without damaging the original painting.
• The cost of the protective coating will need to form part of the overall costing of the mural.
• All murals are to be covered by a protective anti-graffiti coating.  Murals will become the property of Fraser Coast Regional Council.  Should the mural require repair, it will be preferable that the mural artist may be contacted to arrange repair, however if circumstances dictate this can be varied.
• All costs for the maintenance and upkeep of the mural are to be met by the Council asset custodian.
• The policy will not extend to murals on private property, however it can be used as a guide to develop contractual arrangements where Council is a party to a private property mural.
• Murals on private commercial property may require separate signage approval if they advertise a product or business.

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